The latest news from Edmonds Community College

College receives grants for job training and workforce development

09/20/2012

Edmonds Community College will receive a $3 million grant to provide online instruction
and services for adult learners pursuing certificates in computer support, network
security, web development and design, and data management. Instructors will serve
as mentors while employers act as subject matter experts in an innovative, self-paced
online training model.

“PACE-IT” (Progressive Accelerated Certifications for Employment in Information Technology)
will offer internships and help students find jobs. Edmonds CC also received funds
as part of the Wichita Area Technical College Consortium to disseminate the Washington
Aerospace Training and Research Center aerospace industry training model.

News from State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

Community colleges receive millions in grants for job training and workforce development

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Bellevue College and Edmonds Community College will receive millions
in grants from the U.S. Department of Labor to train students for high-tech, high-demand
jobs that meet specific industry needs.

The department today announced an $11.8 million grant for Bellevue College to provide
health information technology training for dislocated workers and veterans in partnership
other Washington community colleges. The partnership, known as the “Health e-Workforce
Consortium,” includes: Bellevue College, Bellingham Technical College, Clark College,
Clover Park Technical College, Pierce College, Renton Technical College, Spokane Community
College, and Whatcom Community College.

The grant will provide skilled workers for Washington’s health care industry, which
relies increasingly on computerized information systems to manage patient information
and other health data. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 targets
$19 billion to help with the computerization of health records by 2014. The American
Medical Informatics Association estimates it will take at least 200,000 newly trained
specialists to meet that goal, including thousands in Washington State.

Edmonds Community College will receive a $3 million grant to provide online instruction
and services for adult learners pursuing certificates in computer support, network
security, web development and design, and data management. Instructors will serve
as mentors while employers act as subject matter experts in an innovative, self-paced
online training model. “PACE-IT” (Progressive Accelerated Certifications for Employment
in Information Technology) will offer internships and help students find jobs.

Bellevue College and Edmonds Community College are among 32 recipients chosen in the
first $500 million round of grants to community and technical colleges around the
country. The grants are part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College
and Career Training initiative. The U.S. Department of Labor is implementing and administering
the grant program in coordination with the U.S. Department of Education.

“This is terrific news for students and employers alike,” said Marty Brown, executive
director for the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. “It’s exactly the
type of focused investment that will pay off in better jobs and more successful companies.”

Renton Technical College has also been awarded a $2 million Title III grant from the
U.S. Department of Education to support its “Student Success and Entry Pathway” program.
The money will be used to redesign and integrate front-end services – such as orientation,
advising, financial aid, assessments and basic literacy classes – to help incoming
students avoid roadblocks later in college.